After the Smoke Clears
by shindougal
Summary: Sam the Courier, after fighting for the future of New Vegas, is approached by old friends that helped him escaped Big MT. They separate afterwards...and they return with bad news. Yet again, the Courier has to become the savior for the Mojave. Unfortunately, under NCR rule, this may be prove difficult. BoonexOOC, ArcadexOOC, CourierxOOC
1. Chapter 1

After the Smoke Clears...

Author's Note: Yeah, I've got Fallout Fever and I've got it in the worst way. Anyway, first fic posted on the site. I decided to write the fic taking place after what happened between the NCR and Legion at Hoover Dam. For some reason, I couldn't figure myself writing a companion story, so I decided to make the Courier a supporting character.

Disclaimer: I don't won Fallout, it belongs to Bethesda and Obsidion (originally was owned by Interplay) so don't sue me for it! I only own the OOCs!

Chapter 1: New Companions

The Courier, aptly named Sam, lowered his glass and sighed as he looked over at his two new companions in the Lucky 38. He had recently escaped Big Mountain (Big MT), and found them along the way, a little worse for wear, and tired. They said they were from the Commonwealth, even further north, and advised them to stay far away from the place at all costs. One of his companions was Alex, a brunette who seemed to hit on him, and he learned to ignore, considering he wasn't attracted to anyone of the same gender, and the second was Rho, an African-American woman who said that she hadn't worn a dress in a long time, and confuses things from time to time. Both of them had wondered around the crater, trying to travel over it and walk away, but it was too steep, so they helped Sam deal with the Think Tank tasks, and then they went their separate ways after being teleported back. So, now they were back, and had some news from back east. Of course, it was more stress than he was willing to take on at the moment.

"Didn't anybody ever tell you two about the Legion up north?" asked Sam

"We parted ways really quickly." Answered Rho, "Didn't really have time to check up on the what's on the horizon while travelling back east."  
"Either way," started Alex, "We're stuck, and with two things of bad news to tell the NCR."

Sam quickly drank his vodka down, giving his drink to Vic, who took it away from him, and stepped off his stool. Rho flexed her back, showing off her large chest and flat stomach. Sam took a quick glace at the Ace tattoo that was on her left hip, which he always wanted to ask about, but Rho always deflected certain questions about her. She then bent down and dusted her boots off, holding her cowgirl hat with one hand.

Not much had changed in terms of the strip. People still came and gambled, and they still lost out and got "escorted" off the strip, but this was under NCR rule, something that the three families weren't too happy with, but they were allowed to carry on like they usually did. Sam, himself, had the Lucky 38, and his other companions who seemed to stay sometimes, and travel on others. The only companion that seemed to keep him company was Arcade, which usually meant the two of them were drinking and discussing whatever Pre-War book he happened to read, or whatever else was happening back in Freeside. Then, came Boone, who protected Novac, but the town didn't need his protection that much, considering in the past year, more settlers have been moving to the small settlement, especially after the Legion made splinter factions and been capturing people to add to their numbers. He once mentioned to Sam that the NCR needed new recruits, and sending some to Novac would be spreading them too thin. When he told the settlers this, they didn't seem to care, taking up arms themselves and keeping watch for feral ghouls, and helping the Bright Brotherhood protect their homes. Boone had once confided in him that his place didn't feel much like home, but he shrugged off the idea of staying in the Luck 38 permanently.

Cass worked as the Lucky 38's bartender (and somewhat resident drunk) from time to time, but she was busy taking care of the Crimson Caravan, something that surprised Sam, but she did a good job taking care of routes, and properly protecting her people She also took some interest in Ringo, even though he planned to stay in New Caanan. How she was even able to stay sober enough to be in a committed relationship was anyone's guess. Sam hadn't heard anything from Lilly, except that she was in Jacobstown again, and receiving her treatment at half-doses. Rex was always the ever-vigilant dog that kept Sam company, but he sent him with Arcade, back to Feeside, not wanting him to get hurt in the fighting, and to meet back with Roxie, whom he met back in Big MT. He was pretty sure The King wouldn't mind having two dogs…and a bunch of puppies running around. Raul also frequented the Lucky 38, making repairs, but spent most of his time making repairs around Old Mormon for the Followers of Apocalypse. He often swapped stories with Beatrix, and was her drinking buddy. Veronica had settled in being a protector for Goodsprings with a few of the Brotherhood of Steel members that had taken up leaving the bunker for good as well after the battle of Hoover Dam. Goodsprings had been a great change for them, living the slow and steady life, and not suspicious of people who lived on the surface.

When Sam, Alex, and Rho had reached the NCR Embassy, they weren't expecting much from Ambassador Crocker when they told their story, but it helped to have some credibility with Sam being their friend. Of course, when the subject of how they got such information came up, Alex came up with the excuse of overhearing some Legionnaire deserters talking about the warring factions, and that the deserters had also talked about the inclement weather. Crocker said that they would take their concerns into consideration and talk to the appropriate people, then brushed them out the door. "What an asshole…" muttered Rho

"We did the best we could." Said Sam, "The NCR's already spread pretty thin as it is."

"Still doesn't give them the excuse to brush you off like that." Said Alex, "You saved the wasteland so many times, they should feel privileged that you've at least given them the warning and they should act quickly."  
"Maybe there's something we _can_ do if the NCR won't act quickly."  
"Like what, handsome?"

Sam rolled his eyes and took a glance over at the Lucky 38. "We can't fit everyone in the wastes there." Said Alex, "Besides, we won't get any privacy."  
"Knock it off…" groaned Sam

"He needs to get laid, " whispered Rho, "you know any gay guys you can hook him up with? He's been driving me crazy since we got here."

"Just one…" Sam whispered back

"So what now, handsome?" asked Alex

"I need to see a few friends in Freeside." Answered Sam, ignoring the flirting

"You actually have friends there? Most of Freeside are a bunch of junkies."  
"A _few_ friends."

The trek back to Freeside seemed to be a short one, but his two friends seemed to notice how much admiration the people on the strip had for Sam. Freeside, not so much, but they did notice the kings either whistling at Rho, or shouting out compliments at Sam for his heroics.

The Followers of Apocalypse made Rho's head spin. It was almost like being a time capsule, remembering her childhood of going to different camps before all of the madness in her life started. Raul and Beatrix were in usual high spirits when Sam greeted them, and he led Alex to meet Juile…and Arcade. Rho took a back seat to sitting next to the two ghouls. "Where did he find you two?" asked Raul

"In Big Mt." answered Rho, "Long story but, just glad to be out of that creepy place. Too bad we can't go back east…"  
"Back east?" asked Beatrix, "What's back there?"  
"Alex and I are from back east…waay back east."

"Like Texas or something?" asked Raul

"No. Think more like "Delaware" and "Pennsylvania." Eastern Commonwealth."  
"Eastern Commonwealth? You parents slavers or something?"  
"No! My Dad was a doctor and my mother was a lounge singer!"

"Lounge singer?" asked Beatrix, "The whole Eastern Commonwealth's got nothing but raiders, slavers, and rape gangs."

Rho looked at the ground at that statement. Was she really that much out of the loop? "You okay?" asked Raul

"Yeah." Answered Rho, "I just miss the East that's all. I what I _really miss_ are cars."  
"Cars? You sound like us old folks. What do you know about cars?"  
"Only that they used to run and getting here would take less than three months cross-country."

"You look to young to be talking about driving."

Rho looked at them with a perplexed look. "Right…" she started, "too old…"  
"Hey sis!" yelled Alex

"Excuse me, I have to kill my idiot brother for yelling." Said Rho, getting up

She folded her arms as she glared at her brother. She leaned to one side, stomping one of her boots. "What's so important you have to yell from a very short distance?" she asked

"I just met the cutest blonde ever!" squealed Alex

Rho sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose "I hate you sometimes." She sighed, "You act more like a giddy girl than the farm boy you grew up as."

"Do you have _any idea_ how hard it is to find a guy whose your type out here in the wastes?"

"Do you even know what-you know what? I don't wanna know."

Julie Farkas looked at Sam strangely as he talked about his plan. The first plan of using the Garrets as a supplier was skeptical, but had worked, even if Old Mormon Fort had become somewhat of a revolving door. Some had gotten better and clean, helping out at the fort, but many ended up being back on chems, and back on the streets. If this inclement weather was going to be as bad as Sam had let on, they may have to relocate for a while, even finding new ways to get around Freeside. "Do you think the kings will be accepting of the plan?" asked Julie

"Probably." Answered Sam, "I know they wouldn't leave this place. I think we might need to help them upgrade their school for the upcoming weather."  
Arcade looked at Rho as she bent her arm and rubbed her elbow. She took off her elbow pad and looked at the bruising at her arm joint. "Damn geckos…" she muttered, "at least we got some meat out of the deal…"

"Let me look at that." Said Arcade

"It's fine." Said Rho, "I get bruises like this all the time. I got some home remedies I can use to alleviate the pain."

"Still, I'm a doctor. Let me look at it."  
Rho hissed a bit as he glided his finger down her arm. "You've got a bit bruising like you said, but your bones feel off." He said

"The gecko whipped its tail at me." She said, "My idiot brother missed his shot and I had to keep him from getting hurt. Damn things can get in close if you don't line your shot up."  
"Excuse me for asking but…is he really your brother?"

"Not by birth. We found ourselves in a precarious situation for many years and then ended up depending on each other in the wastes. He's the closest thing I have to a family."  
Arcade wrapped her bruise up after getting a medicated salve. "Do you think there will be a nuclear winter coming?" he asked

"I'm pretty sure." Answered Rho, "The ex-Legionnaires were talking in this bar back east about it. They said their former leaders had scientists in their ranks, talking about inclement weather, and using the weather to invade New Vegas. Of course, they said the leaders were crazy, hence why they left."

"I'm not surprised. Cut off the head and the rest will desert."  
"Not really…I've seen things out here, people replacing others in cold bood, it takes more than cutting off a snake's head to take care of the rest of the body."

"You are speaking in metaphor, right?"  
"Of course I am. Don't you know anything about snakes?"  
"Only in theory and what I've read."  
"Right…"


	2. Trouble in Novac

Chapter 2: Trouble in Novac

Boone wiped the sweat from his eyes and then settled back into his normal position. The settlers of Novac seemed to keep crime around them down to the bare minimal, but he knew he couldn't rest easy knowing that the Legion could attack at any moment, or the feral ghouls up at REPCONN, but the Bright Brotherhood had taken care of that problem, mostly. Frankly, their leader creeped him out, considering he was bright as he was, but he never got radiation poisoning from being around him. As he zoomed in his scope, he saw three figures in the distance, two males and a female, with the female lighting up a cigarette. Recognizing one of the males, he was tempted to sigh, out of knowing he was going to be roped into some 'adventure', but also resigned to the fact that the Courier had saved him from a life of depression and endless drinking. Well…he still drank, but he didn't go overboard in his depression.

"So is this soldier boy goin' my way?" asked Alex

"I doubt it, farm boy." Answered Sam, "He _was_ married at one point."  
"Doesn't mean they're not-"

"Look, just don't hit on him…and for the love of God _please_ don't bring up his wife. Either of you."  
"Don't look at me." Said Rho, "I try to stay out of crazy women drama. It's my dear brother over there trying to convert ever straight man to the gay side."

"If our dear Courier over her just tried at least once-" started Alex

"Will you knock it off?!" spazed Sam, "I won't have sex with you even if you were the last human being on earth! I'd rather get sever radiation, become a ghoul, and have my dick fall off"

"Ouch…was just kiddin'. I know you would never have sex with me, but you're too handsome to resist."

Rho snickered as she kept her hand on her hunting rifle. Her itchy trigger finger seemed to keep her brother out of trouble, and occasionally helped Sam when he missed a target. Alex always had his hand on a power fist or a machete, preferring to use his fists to two-handed weapons 'just like my dear Pappy taught me before he disowned me'. The brunette also mentioned a slight hatred for shotguns, something about his past and a bar, but he didn't divulge much afterwards. The road to Novac itself was a week-long trip, with them seeing everything from mole rats to deathclaws. A hissing sound alerted the three to a group of feral ghouls coming for them. Alex ran towards them with a power fist and was surprised to find three heads exploding. He wiped his face from the blood splatter and looked around for the shooter. Sam merely thumbed the dinosaur. "The last thing you never see…" he said

"Well can we go there now?" asked Alex, "I wanna punch the asshole in the face who messed up my face."

"Alex," sighed Rho, putting away her hunting rifle, "calm down. There's no reason to cause trouble in this town."  
"I don't appreciate anyone taking a shot so close to my face."  
"Reminds me of my first time meeting him." Said Sam

"Him?" asked Rho

"Boone. He snipes up in Dinky at night."  
"Dinky?"

"The dinosaur over there. I'll tell you more after we get a hotel room."

Boone had began setting down his gear when he heard the expectant knock at his door. He only slept for six hours during the day, only getting up around dinnertime, and listening to all the noise outside from settlers making outdoor dinners. Sam smirked at him as he opened the door, and Boone gave his usual stoic face. "Did I come at a bad time?" asked Sam

"Usually." Answered Boone

He stepped out the way to let the Courier in, looking behind to find anyone. Sighing, he shut the door, walked to his couch, and sat down next to his friend, who helped himself to a beer. "So what kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time?" asked Boone

"Trouble?" asked Sam, "I'm not in any type of trouble."  
"Last time I heard from you, you went out in the Divide and came back to take over the Lucky 38. You looked like compete shit when you did decide to take over."

"I massacred an entire region for the NCR and so many people suffered…so much hate…"

"You can't blame yourself for something like this. You did your job, that's all anyone can ask for."  
"Throwing my own words back in my face. Heh, never thought I would be getting a psychological cookie from you."

"You always were a saint. You think you can save the wasteland by ending one war…so what happened this time?"

"My two friends told me about some Legion trouble and something the wastes aren't ready for."  
"Legion huh? I thought we wiped those bastards out Hoover Dam. They should've split by now."  
"They made their own factions….and they're planning on attacking during the winter."  
"Winter? The wastes are hotter than holy hell. Winter isn't that bad."  
"This winter is different than the ones we have before. We're talking cold and snow, extreme cold and snow."

Rho took a swig of Nuka-Cola as she watched Alex flirt with Manny. The makeshift diner that was built in Novac wasn't bad, and neither were the people here, just gun-ho about shooting things sometime. Though, she did notice the ghouls wearing robes, and sometimes the people would take notice as well. She continued to drink as she listened to her brother propose them sharing a room tonight. Rho merely rolled her eyes and walked away from the two of them. There was no way she was getting in the middle of that, or the possible hangover Alex was going to have in the morning. She walked out after paying her caps at the counter, and looked at the people walking around, and the bunch of dogs herding Brahmin in. The small settlement was obviously thriving, much more than Sam told her when they were back at Big MT. She began walking to the hotel, determined to find out Sam's game plan. Even back when they were escaping, she noticed the courier had a tendency to do things on a wing and a prayer. If what Sam's plan were to truly come to fruition, then they would need to start immediately, but it looked like Novac would be fine with a cold winter, just needed to make a barn for the animals, and make sure the homes were prepared for the inclement weather. Her Nuka-Cola clinked against her side as she opened the door to Dinky the Dinosaur. Cliff Briscoe looked at her as she took a glance around the place. "You guys are really into dinosaurs." She said

"Dinky's our town mascot." Said Cliff, "The name's Cliff Briscoe, and I sell Dinky replicas and other items."

"You got any oil and ammo?"  
"What kind of oil?"  
"Something to polish off my hunting rifle attachment. It was hard enough getting the damn thing built on there, but I try to keep it well oiled in case I have to put a scope on it or not."  
"You seem to know a bit about guns."  
"I try. "

Cliff pulled up a box of ammo and handed her some oil. She paid the caps and pulled a rag out of her pack and began to dab some oil on it when she heard screaming. She stuffed the ammo in her pocket and ran outside. A sea of red was what awaited her. Legionnaires were rounding up people, and others were fighting back. A spear was thrown at her head and she retaliated by lining up her shot and shooting three people. Alex and Manny emerged, both somewhat inebriated but able to fight. Manny felt a machete graze his cheek as he shot one in the neck. Alex had a more melee approach, taking the bar knife and stabbing one in the eye. Rho quickly found herself a target for the men in red. Her leg came up in a kick as a machete came down on her and she shot one man in the eye while holding just the trigger. She quickly pulled out her knife from her boot and slashed one of them in the neck. Sam and Boone had their own battle to deal with, as they had barged into Boone's apartment, spouting out something about the Caesar wanting their heads, but the sniper wasn't letting talk any longer as he bashed one in the face with a beer bottle and slashed the other's throat with the same bottle.

Back at the bar, Manny ducked behind the counter, taking pot shots. He was a bit annoyed that his meeting with an attractive young man was cut short, and he could possibly be dead. He didn't see much of him since stabbing the one legionnaire in the eye, but he could hear gunshots and the sounds of screams coming from everywhere. Right now, the citizens of Novac were more important than any any hook up he wanted at the moment. This said man caught him off guard when the Legionnaires were pushed back and the dust cleared. The young man offered him a hand, and he noticed a trickle of blood coming down his left temple and a bruised cheek. Manny looked at him incredulously as he sported a smile on his face. Manny took the hand that pulled him up, noting that his skin felt like ice. Manny looked strangely at the blood that dripped down Alex's face. "Do you know you're bleeding?" he asked

"Oh yeah." Answered Alex, "Burns like hell really. But, you get used to it…sometimes."

Alex turned to away from him and wiped his hand against his pants, looking around at all the dead Legion bodies. "If they really wanted us dead," he started, "they should've done it more quietly. I hate these type of messes."

Manny walked past and turned over the body of the waitress working here. She didn't have a chance, one shot to the head and she was gone. Others fought for their lives, but still died as well. "Damn shame…" said Alex, "you settle and then still have to fight for what you have."

"We should assess the situation outside." Said Manny, "Damn, should've been up in Dinky to warn everyone…"

Rho winced as Sam cleaned the wound on her left temple. She had bruises up and down her entire body, and she killed many that were coming after them, except for one. When Sam found her, she had one, severely beaten, and under her boot with a gun to his temple. The lacerations on her leg weren't deep, but multiple. "You could've at least left him breathing." Said Sam

"I did." Said Rho, "Barely, mind you, but he breathed out enough to get information."

"You should've killed the bastard." Said Boone, hotly

"Then we wouldn't have known how many children were kidnapped. Ow! Dammit Sam that's too much whiskey!"  
"Sorry." He said, "I don't have anything for that black eye of yours."  
"Not like we have any ice in the wastes." Said Rho, "Damn I miss iceboxes."  
"Iceboxes?"

"They don't exist anymore."

"Then why bring it up?"  
"Ice would bring down swelling."

Boone huffed and looked out the window. The settlers were burying their dead, and others were healing wounds. The whole situation was aggravating, especially since he thought he walked away from everything. He took a glance over at Sam, who was digging through Rho's bag. A dozen holotapes spilled on the floor and she looked annoyed at Sam. "Be careful with those!" she snapped

"It's just some holodisks." Said Sam, "I can get you so more if you-"

"It's what's on the holodisks that are important to me. Just…don't mess them up, ok?"

Sam lit up at the Med-X and injected it into her ankle. "I hate those things." Said Rho

"It's to alleviate pain." Said Sam

"I don't want to become a chem addict. I've seen Fiends. Why take medicine to help if you get addicted?"  
"How long before we can get going?" asked Boone, "Those Legion bastards won't go easy on children."

"Don't be so damn impatient. The Legion's not going to do shit with kids."  
"What?! Do you have any idea-"

"Children are the bargaining chip. They want you and Sam alive so they can slaughter you in front of their eyes. All they're going to do is give them a few nightmares that they'll grow out of once they hit puberty. Plus, we need a plan. You going in there guns blazing will more than likely get you killed."

Boone sighed as he realized Rho was right. The Legion weren't morons, and going in gun blazing would be suicide and predictable. No, there had to be some strategy done in this situation. "You're not going anywhere." Said Sam

"What?!" exclaimed Sam, "I took down more red guys than you!"  
"Even so, someone has to stay here and watch Nipton while Boone and I are gone. You've already said that you're a pretty good shot and I've seen you take pot shots from a distance that usually needed a scope. Their heads splattered everywhere."  
"Have Alex stay here! He's busy trying to get in that other sniper's pants!"  
"Rho…"  
"Right, I'll stay here. You guys better be back soon. I don't want to be the one to explain to Alex yet again why we're back in New Vegas."

The people of Novac weren't too happy with Boone leaving, or really they were upset that their children were kidnapped. Sam didn't really listen that well as he walked away. Boone chalked that up to the Courier's brain not working right at times. There were times where even he got exasperated talking to him about taking different positions in order to take out Fiends, and Sam looked like he was in another world. The sniper knelt down fingered the track of small children. "You don't have to worry about the town so much." Said Sam

"What?" asked Boone

"You were worrying about the town earlier. If I remember correctly, you almost got into a shootout with Rho."  
"Can you blame me? She started shooting her big mouth about me not being able to perform up to par."  
"I believe that's what they call flirting."

"She asked if I performed up to par up in Dinky. Then she was asking if two people fit in there."  
"She was _definitely_ hitting on you. Rho has a thing for guys in uniform."

Boone huffed as they kept moving. The Legionnaire camp wasn't too far from Novac as they originally thought. Well, it was at least a day's walk, but not long compared to what Boone had usually travelled. They both laid on their stomachs, observing the camp. The children seemed like they were fine, just dirty and crying. "At least none of them are dead." Said Sam

"But they'll have nightmares for the rest of their lives." Said Boone

"Better than being shot in the head."

"How you figure?"

"Do I really need explain how much brain damage I have?"  
"Right…"  
Boone took the first shot, watching the recruit legionary fall in a pool of his own blood. The others began mobilizing, wondering where the shot was coming from. Sam shot another recruit in the leg, and then the head, watching his head splatter everywhere. A twinge of fear swelled in the pit of his stomach, watching the children scream. The Decanus came straight for Boone and he swore under his breath. The battle itself was blood, with a head rolling down the hill behind the two of them. Boone snorted as he wiped his sniper rifle clean. "These guys were weaker than what we fought at the dam." He said

"They're weaker than what we've ever fought." Said Sam, going through the Decanus' pockets

Opening up a folded piece a paper, he gave it to Boone. "What is it?" he asked

"Read." He answered

"This was just an exercise to find our defenses in Novac. It doesn't explain why they kidnapped children."

"They probably wanted to impress whoever the new Ceasar is."

"I thought I was done with this."

"Fate's never done with us."


	3. Trouble with People

Chapter 3: Trouble with People

A/N: I apologize in advance about Rho singing "I'll Always Love You", but I love that song. Both versions in fact, with me favoring the Whitney Houston version because that was the first one I heard as a kid. But to be fair, Rho is singing the Dolly Parton version, because it fits with the country/western songs that people hear out in the Mojave Wasteland. By the way, the reason I'm apologizing is because I want to apologize to anyone's thought of anyone singing their rendition out of tune or something like that and it got stuck in their heads. Remember, Rho is the daughter of a lounge singer, so it's probable that she will inherit her mother's singing voice.

Rho drank down her warm Nuka-Cola, nostalgic about refrigerators that used to have freezers in abundance. The settlement had been quiet…well quiet as in hearing people walking around with rifles and other weapons, on edge about their children missing. The radio next to her played Johnny Guitar as she waited. Her scope showed nothing out of the ordinary; except for two feral ghouls she took quickly without anybody knowing. "How does he manage to sit here all night?" she muttered

She drummed her fingers and got her scope ready as she heard screams. On point, she looked towards the direction and saw Sam and Boone coming up the hill with children in tow. She smiled at the situation, but got her face straight as she heard thumping up the stairs. Cliff opened the door wildly, actually sounding excited for the recent turn of events. She walked down from Dinky, relieved that she could end the shift early. Sitting here, waiting for trouble, was a pain for the butt, and excruciating on the brain cells. She sighed as her scope's spring had fallen out yet again, but this time, it rolled into a crevice she couldn't get her finger into. "Dammit…" she muttered

The settlers were excited to brace their children, and they surrounded Boone and Sam, giving encouragement to them. Rho would think that it would be something happy to see, if it weren't destroyed by the fact that merely three hours ago she heard some of the inhabitants blaming Boone and Sam for their troubles. Many were aware of what Sam did back at the Second Battle at Hoover Dam. In fact, she got the civilian rendition at the cleaned up bar. Not everybody was favorable with NCR rule, but it wasn't like they had many options. Actually, some preferred to live without rule of neither party. Rho remembered what life was like at one point without someone guiding people. The scope jingles in her hand as she walks up to the two. The settlers had dispersed up to this point, taking their children away. "You guys weren't gone that long." She said

"Not many of them." Said Sam, "These guys don't act like the recruits from last year."  
"That was way too easy." Said Boone, "Shouldn't you be watching for another attack?"

"I doubt that they'll be attack soon." Said Rho, "I see those blood splatters all over your clothes. Sometimes Sam you aggravate me with all that blood and dirt. Do you have any idea how annoying Abraxo Cleaner is? Sucks even trying to get stuff out. You didn't even dip it in cold water."

"Sorry 'Mother', but I didn't have time to be dipping clothes in cold water while trying to keep 18 little pairs of feet from being stung by radscorpions or eaten by fire geckos."  
Rho rolled her eyes and walk away, waving her hand. "What is her problem?" asked Boone

"She's a bit of a neat freak." Answered Sam, "Something about blood and dirt makes her unsettled. I think it has something to do with what happened back in Big MT."

Boone watched later as Rho sat and tried to fix her scope. It was bit strange watching her at work, reminding him somewhat of Carla. She promptly took their clothes after a few minutes of fiddling with the jiggling scope and began getting spots out as she complained about staying tidy. Carla was always clean, picking up after him and complaining when he carried dust in the room. It was at times like these that he would intentionally make a small mess just to make her mad. It was insanely attractive to him. "Did the Legion ever say what the reason behind taking children was?" asked Rho from the bathroom

"Assholes really were just to attack to test our defenses." Said Boone, "Taking kids must've been a bonus."

"I'd figure as much. They're kids, trying to prove to Daddy that they're all grown up. Just like those damn Nazi's. Goddamn Hitler…"

"Who's Hitler?" asked Sam

"You know who Hitler is! He was in all those history tapes we had to listen to for Mrs. Johnson's class?"

"Who's Mrs. Johnson?"

"Come on, don't start screwing with me! I know you just from Florida but, seriously?"

Sam peeked his head in curiously as Rho paused, mid-scrub. She looked up at Sam with a curious look on her face. "I can't believe you managed to get into a fight in your first week of school." She said

"Rho?" asked Sam

"What?"

"Where do you think you are right now?"

"You know where we are. My bathroom above the doctor's office."  
"Who do you think I am?"

Rho blinked a few times and shook her head. "Goddamn headaches." She said, "Get me some Nuka-Cola so I can take some pain meds."  
Sam walked away and Boone looked at him strangely. "Is she gonna be ok?" he asked

"Rho gets this weird headaches." Answered Sam, "Comes from what happens up there. Don't let it bother you. It never seems to happen when she's fighting, just when she's alone…or cleaning, or…just don't worry to much about it. You can snap her out of her moods really quick."

Alex popped his back as he looked down at his bed mate. Manny wasn't looking for a boyfriend in him, but in Chris, but it was nice to get some sexual frustration out of his system. He never meat the guy but Manny described him as a guy with a very deep voice who was currently working on some type of project with the Brotherhood and the two of them weren't exactly a couple, but he was trying to break him down towards the idea. Manny had this shift off, all things considering what happened the night before. Sam attempted to speak with him, but Rho talked him out of it, reminding him of the idea of getting his bones jumped for his effort. The brunette shook out his hair as he felt his lower back ache despite the back popping. Bathing was no big task, and his back thanked him for loosening some muscles. "You ok in there?" asked Manny

"Yeah." He answered, "Just fine."

"Sorry if I was too rough."  
"It's fine. Besides, it's been a really long time since I had a wild night like that. Proves you can do a lot without chems."

Manny laughed and leaned his body against the wall next to the bathroom door. "You don't mind," started Manny, "do you?"  
"Mind what?" asked Alex

"That I'm using you as a replacement for Chris."  
"Not really. I can tell its unhealthy, literally and metaphorically."  
"What are you? Some kind of doctor?"  
"Eh…not really. Just a farm boy who knows about being unhealthy."

Manny sighed and walked in, looking at Alex who was leaned over the bathtub. He had surgical scars and up down his arms. "What happened to you?" asked Manny  
"Not something I really want to talk about." He answered, "You got any smokes on you? Sis hates it when I smoke and I really wanna sneak some before she starts coming after me."

"She's not really your sister, is she?"  
"Not by blood…but she's pulled my ass out of the fire a lot when we younger. You could say we've been attached at the hip for many years. I owe her, and she owes me."

Boone woke up to some singing outside his door. For once, he gets the night off, and he feels like total crap in the morning. It wasn't a hangover, but he would expect this was his biological clock was off. In his daze of waking up, he thought it was Carla singing, but she usually hummed Johnny Guitar or whatever was on the radio, but this song was completely different. _"Bittersweet memories…." _He heard, _"That's all I have, and all I'm taking with me."_

Boone rubbed his eyes as he sat up from bed. He pushed back the curtains to find Rho was sweeping on the desk. Daisy nodded and gave a comment on her comment, but she shied away, somewhat embarrassed of her singing. "You should go into show business." Said Daisy, "Sound like you could be a lounge singer."  
"Nope." Said Rho, "That was my mother's thing, not mine."  
"Well, what is your thing?"  
"To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure. I'll probably figure it out some day."  
"Well, have good rest of the day. I need to speak with Gibson about some gun repairs."  
"Have fun."  
Rho sighed and went back to singing, unaware that Boone was listening to her. It was true, the woman did have vocal talent. _"Cause we both know." _ She sang, _"I'm not what you need."_

Her voice caught in her throat as she realized that she was going to sing a high note. Putting her broom away, she lightly knocked on Boone's door, with the ex-Sniper opening quickly. "Um…" she started, "Did I leave my scope in here?"

Boone merely pointed to his windowsill and she smirked at him. As she bent to reach it, Boone noticed the surgical scars on her back. Her ripped midriff and composite outfit that she clearly took off a Fiend somewhat showed all. Her arms didn't look much better in the back, having the same surgical scars. Boone was tempted to look at her legs, but he was actually looking at her large hips and round ass. He scratched his head and then looked away quickly. He couldn't allow himself to have such thoughts. Rho sighed at the jingling noise the scope was making as she stood up. "How long have you had that thing?" asked Boone

"A few months." She answered, "Picked it off a Raider who thought he was a sharp shooter. Bastard was so hopped up on chems, he merely grazed my thigh."  
"What's a Raider?"  
"Same thing as Fiends. Nut job cannibals who really think they're a threat to anyone. Any sharp shooter can shoot them halfway across an acre of land, maybe farther. Depends on the scope."  
"How long has your scope been making that sound?"  
"It's an antique piece. I keep screwing in the falling screws, replacing the inner lens. Damn spring fell out this time. It's so hard around here when you don't have some druggie who has a switchblade to find a replacement."

Boone took the scope from Rho and examined the piece. It was clearly an old model, something his father would've used. He jiggled around for a bit, seeing the slight annoyance in Rho's face out the corner of his eye. He handed it back to her without a word and went into one of his drawers. The ex-Sniper handed her a shiny, hardly ever used, scope. She smirked at him as she attached the scope. She then turned the gun on his face, and he looked clearly pissed. "How about I aim my gun at you?" he threatened, "See how you like it."  
Rho rolled her eyes at his threat, lowering her gun. "Brandy's not even loaded." She said, "Even if she was, I keep the safety on, just in case some jackass decides to steal it."

"You named your rifle?"

"Brandy's the real antique. Been around since….hmm…maybe…Operation: Anchorage maybe…a little after that…nevermind. Look at this barrel and the safety near the trigger. She has a polished wood finish. You don't even that on guys these days."

"You don't say."  
"Yeah. Brandy's not a hunting rifle, but a bolt-action rifle. I'd bet you the Gun Runners would love to get their hands on this baby. Got Brandy modified just for my grip and my eyesight."  
"If she's so old, how is she in working condition? Or better yet, how in the hell did you get your hands on something so old?"  
Rho darted her eyes away from him, looking around for a moment. "I um…" she started, "don't really wanna talk about it."

"I see…"  
"I wanna keep Brandy's baby around. It's not nice to keep mothers away from their babies."

"Since that thing's so old, I'd bet it doesn't fire like it used to."  
"Five caps says I hit some bottles from 40 miles away, even farther."  
"I think I'll take you up on that offer another time. I have a settlement to protect."

Alex hissed as Doc Mitchell applied the salve on his arm. Boone had agreed to leave Novac with Sam, Alex, and Rho as long as the settlers would take up arms and protect their own town. They had encountered fire ants and fire geckos, and Alex ended up getting burned on his arm. "Don't understand why folks want to even get tangled in dealing with something as deadly as fire ants." Said Doc Mitchell, "Then again, when you're wondering around this Courier."  
"Hey, don't look at me." Said Sam, "He's the one wanting to run after some stray dog."

"It looked like it was in trouble."  
"You gotta be more careful." Said Doc Mitchell, "You can't just be runnin' after every innocent looking animal. Didn't your father teach you that?"  
"My Pa expelled me from the farm when I was 15. "  
There was an awkward silence while Doc Mitchell wrapped cloth over the injury. "Sorry…" he said

"How were you to know? The drunk bastard wasn't much of a father when he was alive. All Pa cared about was his goddamn reputation and those bulls."  
"Um..Alex…" started Sam

"Oh right. Sorry Doc, you're a healer, not a psychologist."  
"Not the worst thing I've heard." Said Doc Mitchell

"Where's Rho and soldier boy?"

"She's selling all that gecko and fire ant meat she gathered."

"My pain is her gain."

Trudy sighed as she watched some unfamiliar faces take up most of the booths in her saloon. Veronica had invited her Brotherhood of Steel members to sit and have lunch with her visiting friends, and of course, they were dirtying up her floors, and rearranging her furniture. It would be nice if when they visited that they would take off their armor once in a while. In the whole time that they were settling here, the only person she saw without armor was Veronica, and that's when she was off duty and going back to her girlfriend. Now Sunny being gay wasn't much of a shock to Trudy, who was pretty suspicious of that, but for her to be attracted to the very unfeminine Veronica was. The girl was a ball of sunshine like Sunny was, but she never thought those two would even be compatible. "So you've decided to become the protectors of Goodsprings?" asked Sam

"Protectors' a strong word." Answered Veronica, "It's more like…"  
"We really don't have many places to go." Said a Brotherhood member

"I find that hard to believe." Said Boone, "You guys made a treaty with NCR."  
"It doesn't mean that the NCR trusts us." Said Veronica, "It may be a treaty, but we're still treated like second-class citizens."  
The saloon was quiet as Boone and Veronica stared at each other with unsteady eyes. "Um…maybe you should all agree to disagree." Said Alex

"Yeah." Said Rho, "Rome wasn't built in a day."  
Boone then directed his death glare at Rho, who just raised a brow. "That look does nothing." She said, "Ceasar's Legion or not, the actual city of Rome wasn't built in a day."

Sam gave a nervous laugh and lot his fork drop to the plate, trying to break the silence. "We should get back on patrol." Said a Brotherhood member

Veronica gave a glare at Boone, who just glared back. "Ok," sighed Rho, "I know you two probably come from two different views and factions but we all live out here in the Mojave, we gotta get along."

"Tell that to the many heavily taxed people across the Mojave." Said Veronica


	4. Differences in Opinion

Author's Note: Thank you HumaneDarkness for clicking "favorite" on my story! It means a lot!

Chapter 4: Differences in Opinion

Rho stared up at the sky as she thought about what time it was. There were times where she would forget what day it was, what year, what month, not that it mattered anymore. She didn't need to keep a calendar, nor keep a watch for time. Everything she knew got destroyed when the bombs fell. All order seemed to go out the window, and now she was travelling in dirt with her best friends. Sam wasn't really a best friend, but Alex was. She stared at the dirt road before her, kicking a large rock before sighing. They were on their way to the supposed abandoned NCR Correctional Facility. Unfortunately, there had been reports that squatters in there had taken up arms and began causing trouble. Veronica had pushed them back with her forces, but she had a suspicion that there was going to be an even bigger shootout, and more forces than they were sending. She had volunteered herself to go once Sam said that he would go check out the problem. Then, Alex volunteered to watch Sam's ass, literally, which mean Rho had to go in order to keep Alex out of trouble, and Boone went because he wasn't being left alone with Trudy, whose stares made him feel uncomfortable. "Why does every jackass have to hide in an obvious place?" asked Boone

"You missed the part about them being moronic." Answered Sam, "They're probably addicts looking for a good time."

"This seems more like strategized attacks than just a bunch of Fiends." Said Veronica, "Besides, their attack patterns were more organized than just screaming and running after you."

The group laid down on the ground as they watched the groups of men guarding around the gate. They weren't dressed as Powder Gangers, just as regular wastelanders. "Eight around the ground," said Boone, "four around the towers. They're not carrying standard guns."

"Plasma or Laser?" asked Sam

"Looks like laser."

"Ok, so that means they're energy specialists. Great, they always seem to piss me off worse."

"That's because they're smug bastards."  
"Don't worry handsome." Said Alex, "I'll make sure they don't burn you cute ass."  
"Alex," ground out Sam, "I swear to everything that I'm not-"

Gunshots rang out and the three men saw Rho and Veronica on the attack. "Lets kick some ass!" yelled Rho

The enemy wasted no time opening fire, with Veronica having some protection with her power suit and Rho taking cover behind rocks while making distance shots. "Your sister is nuts." Said Boone

"I'm a sadist!" yelled Rho, "There's a difference!"  
Boone bit his lip before shooting. There wasn't much he could say to that statement, but he wished his mind didn't go to a dirty place. Sam didn't waste any time getting up close and personal, killing with his machete, with Alex on his tail. Rho hit one with the butt of her gun in the face, knocking out a few teeth. Veronica made a few heads fly. The interior of the prison looked similar to the last time he was here, except there were more beds, and chems all over the place. Boone kicked over a beer bottle and looked around. "It's always chem addicts." He said

"Chems are all good until you get that horrible crash." Said Rho

"How do you know?"  
"My father was a doctor. He used to deal with chem addicts all the time. Plus, he didn't use fixer, just his mind and tough talk."

Someone cocked a gun and the four of them looked at a disheveled woman who had a shotgun in her hands. "The fuck you assholes doing here?!" she said, "This is my home!"  
"Honey," started Rho, "this isn't anybody's home."  
"Get the fuck out!"  
"If you don't put the goddamn shotgun down you're not going to have to worry about not having a home!"

The two women stared, neither willing to back down. Boone was sure that one of them was going to be shot, but then Rho lowered her weapon, sighing. "You're not even worth the bullets." She said, "Where's the rest of your chem addict group?"  
"L-left…" she answered

"Bullshit."  
"Th..they did!"  
"Lie to me again, and I'll consider wasting my bullets!"  
"Guard towers! They go up in the guard towers, and in Cell Block D."  
Rho quickly went into her bag and tossed a fixer to Alex. "Administer her treatment and send her to Goodsprings." She said

"Why there?" asked Veronica, "Don't we have enough problems without a chem addict around?"  
"She's a new addict. A fixer and a few days talking to the doctor will do her some therapeutic good. Not everything needs to be solved with violence."

"Wait…" started Alex, "Does this mean I have to go back?"

"Yup."  
"Why me?"  
"You're the fastest, and I don't feel like patching you up because you go head-first in a gunfight."  
"Veronica goes head first in a gunfight."  
"I've got power armor on." Said Veronica

Boone growled and stomped ahead, opening the door and began firing. "What's his problem?" asked Alex

"He's got a stick up his ass." Answered Sam

"I could always replace that stick with-"

"Alex!" yelled Rho, "Go!"

Alex pouted at the group and left with the woman. Rho unholstered her gun and loaded it. "I'm pissed!" she yelled, "I just got these pants and there's a hole in them! Someone's gonna pay!"

Rho took cover behind a bloody couch, which made her wince, and began popping off heads in multiples. She had no idea where Boone was, and she really didn't care. Her legs were glued to one place as she took out far targets, and Veronica took out the ones closest to them. Sam was bolder, going out into the open to take care of some of the people. Rho winced as a bullet grazed her wrist, and she was forced to drop her weapon. "Damn!" she swore

She stuck behind the couch, trying to tend to her wound.

The aftermath of the battle was less to be desirable. Over a dozen chem addicts with laser weapons, lying dead in a pool of their own blood. Rho made quick work of taking some of the chems, talking about selling them in a nearby town. Boon, who was up in a guard tower, took a quick glance at her wrist. Blood dripped from the wound, and she didn't even seem to notice. "Hey." He called out

"Hay is for horses." She said

"You're bleeding."  
Rho winced as she picked up a Med-X. Boone sighed and pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, tying it around her wrist. He felt the smooth skin of her arm as he injected her with Med-X. Rho merely hissed in pain and the two locked eyes briefly before Rho looked away. "Thanks…" She said

Boone looked closer to find a surgical scar going up her arm. "We should head back." Said Veronica, walking up

Boone jumped and gave a glare at Veronica. "Loosing your touch, grandpa?" asked Rho

"I'm 26." Said Boone, flatly, "How old are you? 17?"  
"Heh…close…I'm 227 years old come last week…"  
"That's not true. You'd be an old lady."  
"Then maybe you shouldn't ask a woman her age. It's rude to ask, you know."  
Boone huffed off, and Veronica laughed after him. Rho looked down at her hand, and at the handkerchief. Licking her lips, she finished the rest of her scavenging from the table. "Operation…Anchorage…" she muttered

Sam studied her movement as she pulled out one of her holodisks. Leaning against the tables, she began playing. _"September 29, 2076…I miss Terry. Today's my 16__th__ birthday and he stuck in Alaska! __**cough cough**__ I can't even leave my room today because I'm so weak. Sometimes, I wish the doctors here at this stupid school were a bit nicer. __**Cough**__ I mean…I'm really sick today. I think that Dr. Boeman said that my body was responding better to the treatments. _**Cough** _The therapy used to make me throw up, but now it just makes me weak. I'm gonna go back to bed. I'm waiting for my present fromTerry. He's gonna give me some stuff from Alaska. I hope the war ends soon so that we can get married."_

She then pulled out another tape. _"October 14, 2076…One of the doctors finally explained what Operation Anchorage was….I don't think I'm getting married anymore. I finally got some holotapes and presents from Terry, but I don't know if he'll come home. I guess I'm happy the United States took back Alaska, but how many lives were taken from it?"_

Rho put her holodisks back in her bag and looked over at Sam, who had his arms folded. "Something wrong?" he asked

"Just some nostalgic crap." She answered, "We should get back. You haven't told the people of Goodsprings about the weather."

"Do you think they'll listen?"  
"The people of Goodsprings? They love you."  
"I mean, all the people. Nobody feels very happy about the NCR in control."

"Sam, from living and observing, all I can say is this…everybody thinks thye know what they want for everybody. You can't save the entire wasteland, but you can help the ones who listen."


End file.
